We foresee a five-fold increase in the financial penalties for the electricity distribution companies (EDCs) in case of non-fulfilment of their obligations to Bulgarian consumers, Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov said in a letter distributed to the media on February 4.
"The new draft law will detail the obligations of the electricity distribution companies. We foresee a five-fold increase in the financial penalties, which can reach up to 50,000 BGN in case of non-fulfilment of their obligations to Bulgarian consumers."
This was stated by Minister of Energy, Zhecho Stankov, during a meeting with Plamen Mladenovski, Director of the "Electricity and Heat Energy" Directorate at the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission. They discussed the creation of a special bill, under which electricity distribution companies will be required to contact the consumer in cases where they have failed to fulfill their obligations related to providing electricity supply.
A key point during the discussion was the increase in penalties for electricity distribution companies, which, according to the bill, will automatically become due without Bulgarian consumers having to submit claims for them.
"We need to stop the harmful practice where the EDCs briefly restore electricity supply to avoid penalty payments," said Minister Stankov.
Therefore, the new draft law will explicitly state that if the duration of the electricity outage or limitation exceeds 48 hours within a 72-hour period, operators will be required to pay penalties to the end consumers.
During the meeting, it was noted that from the inspections carried out by the Ministry of Energy and the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission, it became clear that the main problem causing electricity outages is poorly cleared clearings. Zhecho Stankov and Plamen Mladenovski agreed on the need to increase control over the work of the contracted companies responsible for cleaning these areas.
"The control should be preventive with increased sanctions to enable the companies to fulfil their obligations," the Minister stressed.
The draft law is also expected to give mayors, who are familiar with the issues in their localities, the opportunity to participate in the investment programme of electricity distribution companies. The Energy and Water Regulatory Commission will, in turn, be granted more powers concerning priority investments in regions.
Minister Stankov pointed out that within three months of the law’s adoption, electricity distribution network operators will have to align the general terms of their contracts with end consumers to comply with the new law, ensuring they benefit consumers.
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